A Supriyanto 

et al 2018

Energy plays a significant role in our daily lives in this modern era of technological
advancements. With the increased usage of energy, the environmental risks posed by depleting
sources of energy also rise. Therefore, renewable energy sources such as organic Dye-Sensitized
Solar Cells (DSSCs) are considered as viable alternatives. To address the issue of depleting
sources of energy, thorough research on different solar cells, particularly DSSCs, is necessary.
This section provides a brief summary of previous studies conducted to gain a better
understanding of the subject matter.

A dye-sensitized solar cell is the third generation of solar cells that can convert solar energy into
electrical energy using photo-electrochemical principles. Natural dye extracted from carotenoid
pigments such as orange fruits, carrots, and tomatoes.

Natural dyes is one component that plays an important role in improving the performance of DSSC
because it can be that convert solar energy into electrical energy. The natural dye can be fabricated in
a simple, very cheap and environment-friendly. Some fruits, plants, flowers, and leaves displayed
various colours and contained several pigments, which can be simply extracted and then used as
sensitizer because most of yellow, red, and orange plants contained a lot of carotenoid, which help in
absorbing photon from sunlight in the visible region at the wavelength range of 400 nm-510 nm

(Natural dyes improve DSSC performance by converting solar energy to electrical energy. They are
cheap and eco-friendly to produce, extracted from plants and fruits that have various pigments,
particularly carotenoids, which absorb photons from sunlight in the 400-510 nm range.)

TiO2/ dye of tomatoes are capable of absorbing very large radiation due to the widened frequency in
the lower direction. This is due to the tomato dye being absorbed into the more TiO2 cavities.
Vibrations that can absorb more radiation are caused by changes in the dipole moment in the
molecule. The greater of the dipole moment, the resulting absorption is also more intense. -

The efficiency of tomato DSSC has a higher value compared to other DSSCs. This result is supported by a
characteristic result from FTIR TiO2/ dye of tomato which has a value of transmittance of 84.8% in the
range of 3500-2500 cm-1 wavenumbers.
The FTIR analysis results support the efficiency of the tomato DSSC sample, although its efficiency
value is still low probably because the dye molecules adsorbed on the TiO2 surface are still low. The
nanostructure of TiO2 provides a pathway for electrons in order to maintain a high surface area
during dye absorption process. Therefore, the unavailable bond between the dye and TiO2 molecules
during the electron transfer process causes a low-efficiency value
Based on research that the highest efficiency obtained by tomatoes dye was 0.03% in carotenoid
pigment. This efficiency occurs due to the tomatoes dye binding to TiO2 which is supported with the
FTIR transmittance at wavenumber 3500-2500 cm-1 of 84.8%, resulting in the carboxyl O-H group
stretching. The interaction between TiO2 and dye causes the transfer of electrons from dye molecules
to the TiO2 conduction band. The amount of dye absorbed into the TiO2 cavities is large, so the
amount of light absorbed also rise.

Carotenoid pigment as sensitizers for applications of dye-

sensitized solar cell (DSSC)

According to a study by A Supriyanto et al (2018), natural dyes can improve DSSC

performance by converting solar energy into electrical energy. They are cheap and eco-
friendly to produce, and can be extracted from plants and fruits that contain various
pigments, particularly carotenoids, which absorb photons from sunlight in the 400-510
nm range. Natural dyes extracted from carotenoid pigments, such as those found in
orange fruits, carrots, and tomatoes, have been studied for their potential use in DSSCs.

The study found that the efficiency of tomato DSSCs was higher than that of other
DSSCs, with a value of 0.03% for carotenoid pigment, compared to 0.02% for orange
fruits and 0.009% for carrots. This result is supported by FTIR analysis of TiO2/dye of
tomato, which showed a transmittance value of 84.8% in the range of 3500-2500 cm-1
wavenumbers. These findings suggest that tomatoes have the highest potential as a
sensitizer for creating an effective DSSC, among all other carotenoid examples.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
329043431_Carotenoid_pigment_as_sensitizers_for_applications_of_dye-sensitized_solar_cell_DSSC
A natural tomato slurry as a photosensitizer for dye-
sensitized solar cells with TiO2/CuO composite thin films

A study conducted by A. Moradiya et al (2018) found that in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs), the
dye functions as a light absorber and TiO2 plays a similar role to carbon dioxide in photosynthesis.
The effectiveness of the DSSC is dependent on the dye's ability to absorb light and attach to the
TiO2 surface. The researchers utilized tomato extracts, specifically anthocyanins, as a sensitizer for
the TiO2/CuO photoanode, which was deposited on an ITO substrate. The efficiency of natural dyes
in DSSCs was evaluated based on short circuit current (Jsc), open circuit voltage (Voc), fill factor (FF),
and energy conversion efficiency.

The study found that the interaction between anthocyanin molecules in tomato extract and TiO2
nanoparticles resulted in better efficiency and charge transfer compared to DSSCs prepared with
TiO2/CuO alone. The structure of the tomato slurry pigment, which contains anthocyanins and the
CuO layer, is responsible for the enhanced efficiency of the dye-sensitized solar cells. Measurements
of Jsc, Voc, and FF in the study show that the DSSCs using tomato as sensitizers have resulted
desirable values of 6.6 mA/cm2, 0.615 V, and 0.73, respectively, which are important for achieving
high efficiency in converting solar energy into electrical energy.

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/
323564645_A_natural_tomato_slurry_as_a_photosensitizer_for_dye-
sensitized_solar_cells_with_TiO_2_CuO_composite_thin_films